Time Passes
by Tifaching
Summary: Time is fluid.


Written for a subvert the prompt challenge on LJ. The characters I was assigned were: Adam, Lucifer, Michael. The prompt I had to turn on its head: time passes.

* * *

When it's Ettie's turn to choose, she always gets takeout. Before the bag even reaches her hand grease wends its way through the brown paper in artery clogging amber droplets. The aromas of Crab Rangoon, deep fried pork rinds and a pair of double cheeseburgers with an extra large order of fries combine to make her stomach churn. Needless to say, her lunch is packed separately. After a quick stop at the bakery for an order of tiramisu and a coconut cream pie she's on her way.

She gets to pick the location too, and it's always remote. Today they're meeting at an isolated picnic area off a scenic highway in Montana. The leaves are long gone from the trees and the chill bite in the late autumn air will ensure their privacy. Ettie arrives first, of course. She always arrives first. Not that her dining companion isn't punctual. He's actually kind of famous for it. Still, she's got the food laid out and beer foaming in two plastic cups before Death settles down across from her.

She smiles at the look he gives her. Her white blonde hair is swept back in a ponytail that reaches to her waist and is decorated with a ring of bright yellow and purple pansies. The peasant blouse that hugs her bare shoulders is tucked into a long cotton skirt covering a pair of heavy sandals. The sixties was the last decade Ettie could truly get behind. He hasn't changed, of course. Black suit, thin, pale face, perfect manners. He nods, keeping his opinion of her get up to himself. For a few minutes there is only the sound of contented chewing.

"I understand you've been spelunking." Ettie finally says, spearing a California roll with her chopsticks.

Death swipes a chunk of her wasabi and spreads it on his cheeseburger. "Spelunking?"

"For souls."

"Ah." The bag rattles as the last crab Rangoon is fished out. Ettie shakes her head when it's offered to her. "One soul."

"Why?" she asks, truly curious. Death doesn't get involved. Ever. For him to do so twice in the last few years is rocking the cosmos.

"The angels are annoying me."

"Really."

"Oh, yes. All that apocalypse nonsense between Lucifer and Michael a few years back left a void and there's no atrocity to which the lesser angels won't stoop to try to fill it. They, far more than Sam and Dean Winchester, are upsetting the natural order."

"And you think reuniting those two will be helpful somehow? Sam's going to be more of a hindrance than an asset, I'd think." The empties rattle as Ettie drops them back into the bag and she gives Death a reproachful look. "He's going to be useless, eventually. I could have helped you with that."

Death dabs at the corners of his mouth with a paper napkin and his bloodless lips curve up. "Sam is perfectly functional for now. He will stay that way if he has the sense to follow my instructions. And, as everyone _should _know, those two have an uncanny and annoying habit of achieving their objectives. I do realize you could have helped, my dear. They made their choices, however, and those choices have consequences. Can't have them thinking their bacon's going to be pulled out of the frying pan unburned every time they decide to throw themselves into it."

"You left their younger brother down there to sizzle in his own fat, didn't you?"

"Consequences. He made his decision as did they all."

"So, no get out jail free card for him because he didn't inherit the insanely stubborn Winchester 'free will' gene."

"No one gets out of hell 'free'. Ask any demon who's clawed their way out. Dean didn't get out _free_ and Sam's sojourn there will most definitely cost him. Eventually." Death studies her impassively. "Why are you so interested in Adam Milligan?"

Ettie pops the top off the last bottle of beer and takes a long drink. She grins at Death. "The archangels are annoying me. I will never forgive Lucifer for depriving me of the pleasure of Gabriel's company."

"Hmmmm, I thought that appalling time loop fiasco had your delicate fingerprints all over it." Death tilts his head like an inquisitive vulture and takes a bite of tiramisu. "Considering that they are locked away forever, what, exactly, are you planning to do? You're not me, my dear. You can't just yank the boy out of the cage."

"I have my methods." Ettie stretches and raises her face to the bright November sun. "Maybe not as direct as yours but they'll get the job done."

Death's as still as a viper about to strike. "Be very, very careful here," he says quietly.

Ettie stills too, just for a moment and then she smiles. "You can't threaten me, my old friend. I'm here until the end just like you are." She looks at him searchingly. "There _will _be an end, right?" Death nods serenely. "I will be careful, though. And I'll think about what you've said. Maybe I'll end up giving him a pass."

"That would be the most sensible course of action."

Ettie sips her beer and picks at a slice of pie while Death polishes off the rest of the food. They finish the meal in companionable silence and when the last crumb disappears Ettie throws the garbage in a bear proof receptacle at the edge of the picnic area. Death stands and inclines his head, manners impeccable as always and Ettie sketches a little curtsey in response.

"And when will our next get together be?"

"Hmmmmm. June sixth, next. The taco stand on the amusement pier at Wildwood."

"Don't you think it might be a bit…crowded…at that time of year?" Ettie asks delicately.

"Perhaps. But if I'm not perturbed about anything it shouldn't be a problem." Death raises an eyebrow and is gone.

Ettie sits back down at the table and watches the afternoon sun slide down the sky. Small animals rustle in the underbrush and back in the trees a hawk screams. Just as dusk settles over the landscape another figure appears and settles down across from her. Ettie offers a respectful greeting and listens.

The cage is massive, iridescent with the crystalline sparkle of ice reflecting blood red flame. Ettie stands just outside the barrier wall, a cacophony of rage and pain battering her ears as battles rage within. Darkness crashes against light, infiltrating and being thrown back, neither gaining a foothold over the other. A small figure huddles in a corner, face buried in its arms.

Lucifer sees her first. The shadows coalesce, invert, and flare blindingly bright. He approaches slowly, non-threateningly, the glow surrounding his face still, after all these millennia, the most beautiful thing she's ever seen. "Eternity," he says, smiling a welcome. Warm honey would be more abrasive than his tone.

Ettie nods in greeting, gracious but in no way subservient. "Morningstar." She doesn't miss the pleasure that flashes through his eyes. His vanity has always preferred that name over the less melodious 'Lucifer'.

"Why are you here?" Michael is no less breathtaking than his brother, but his a harder beauty. Sharper and more refined, the type to overwhelm rather than seduce.

"Oh, the Mistress of Forever stops by every now and again," Lucifer says, smile becoming softer, more reproachful. "The last time she was here she _adjusted_ the way time works in these parts."

"Hey," Ettie puts her hands up and matches Lucifer's smile. "I told you then and I'll tell you now. I was under orders."

Lucifer's mask slips and Ettie stares full on into the face of evil. Michael just looks confused.

"Orders?"

"Dad," Lucifer spits, gradually winning the struggle to regain control. He quirks a one sided smile at Ettie. "Apparently he felt that locking me up here for all eternity wasn't punishment enough. _My_ eternity had to stretch out a hundred times longer than eternity for the rest of the entire damned universe. A century down here is like five minutes topside."

"So, if we got out of here, the war might still be going on?"

"Actually," Eternity says, shaking her head and thinking that the cage for all eternity is the best place for these two, "a century down here is like a _year_ topside. The war is going on but it's mostly the angels fighting each other now. So, good job you two."

"Really." Lucifer gazes at her for a moment then widens his eyes. "Maybe, if you set us free, Michael and I could put a stop to that. We never meant for our brethren to fight among themselves."

For the first time, the figure in the corner raises his head. Ettie can see in his madness tinged eyes that an unending span of years alone in the cage would be far preferable to any amount of time trapped with two insane archangels. Michael opens his mouth, confusion plain on his face but Lucifer rounds on him before he can speak.

"Surely we can set our brothers and sisters back on the right path if Eternity gives us another chance." His eyes brim over with sincerity.

"Of course," Michael says stiffly. "Back on the right path."

"You'd do that?" Ettie hides her cynicism beneath a façade of hopefulness. "I'm not sure I believe you."

"Well, I'm not sure I believe _you. _Your visit so soon after Death stole my sweet Sam from me could be viewed as suspicious."

"Death does his thing, I do mine." Ettie shrugged. "Sam Winchester means nothing to me. Now, will you really whip the rogue angels back into line?"

"Dad hasn't turned up to right the ship?" Ettie shakes her head and Michael smiles. "Then we'll take care of the whipping, don't you worry."

"I can't set you free…" Ettie holds up a hand as Michael erupts. "Not permanently anyway." She holds up two rolls of parchment. "I _can_ give you a pass."

"A pass," Lucifer says.

"A three day pass."

"Like to Disney World," Adam cackles through cracked lips.

"Exactly. Except this pass will take you through time. You have three days to work things out and if you don't, your asses will be hauled right back here."

"A pass through time to where….when?" Michael's not sold.

"To whenever you think would do the most good." Lucifer will choose Stull, she knows, where he will not touch a hair on Dean Winchester's head, thereby keeping total control of his vessel. Then he'll start the fight with Michael just where he left off. Michael will keep Sam and Castiel from finding Dean and preventing him from saying yes. He'll have his vessel of choice and the cage will never be opened. Neither knows that the doors through time they've always walked through freely have now been slammed and tightly bolted.

"Three days isn't much time." Lucifer's tone is soft and persuasive. "Can't you give us, say, a month?"

"You're archangels," Ettie says. "If you can't manage what's laughingly called the heavenly host in three days, you don't deserve to be out of this cage. Now, take it, or leave it."

"We'll take it," Lucifer says smoothly. "Of course."

"Anything we can do to help." Michael sounds almost as sincere as his brother.

"See that you do," Ettie says. "Help." She extends the parchments through the barrier, holding them firm as the archangels seize the other ends. "See that you do." As soon as she lets go, they vanish. Two deep breaths later, she slips through the barrier and crouches at Adam's side.

"You shouldn't have done that," Adam croaks. Blood sprays out of his mouth with the words. "They're both nuts."

"Oh," Ettie says with a smile, "Let's just worry about you, shall we?"

"Me?" Adam jerks away weakly.

Ettie holds out another parchment. "What, you didn't think you'd get one?" She places one end in Adam's slack palm and closes his fingers around it, keeping the other end in her grasp. "Let's blow this pop stand." Gently, slowly, she draws him through a century's worth of time, through Stull and Zachariah to just Adam, post death, pre pawn.

"Where…" Adam stares around, chest heaving. "Am I really out?"

"You are."

Adam kicks at the leaf strewn ground. "Is this where…?"

"You are buried here, yes."

"And the angels are going to come for me. Wait. How can I be standing here and buried at the same time? This never happened."

"Well," Ettie smiles gently. "We're not quite where we're going yet. You can't stay here. Going to the future or further in the past won't help. You'll always be hunted to use against your brothers."

"Then why'd you get me out?" Adam tries to pull away, tears springing to his eyes. "I thought I had three days, to…to live."

Ettie grabs his hand and slips them sideways and then sideways again. They stop on a sidewalk in front of a two story Colonial with a wide swath of green grass surrounding it. A black pickup sits in the driveway alongside a green Subaru hatchback. There's another car beyond them, just the silver of the bumper visible. The roar of a lawn mower comes from behind the house.

"My mom used to have a car like that." Adam points at the Subaru.

"Well, yeah," Ettie says. "And your father used to have a truck like that." The lawnmower appears from the side of the house, along with the man pushing it.

"What's he doing here?" Adam hisses.

"He lives here." Ettie shrugs. "At least he does until the water main in his apartment building is repaired."

"Sam too?"

"No. Sam and his wife live a couple of towns over. They come every Sunday for dinner though."

"Why aren't they out hunting monsters?"

Ettie smiles at him gently. "Because there aren't any here."

"Aren't any…where, exactly, is _here?"_

"Another time line. One where things went differently. Lucifer zigged instead of zagged. Cain and Abel never came to blows. God was paying attention. Good things happened."

"Well, what are _we_ doing here?"

"I thought this was the kind of place your pass should take you to. One where your family was alive and happy."

"The Winchesters are _not _my family."

The door opens before Adam can go any further and a woman walks out onto the porch. She waves at Dean and he turns off the mower.

"Have you seen Adam?" she calls.

"If I had, I wouldn't be sweating my ass off out here. I officially gave up lawn mowing duty when I got my own place."

"Mom?" Adam whispers.

"In the flesh."

"But…where's their Adam?"

Ettie lays a hand on his head. "You're their Adam. Here, Mary Winchester died in a car accident when her boys were small. Your father met your mother when he was rushed in for an emergency appendectomy. He married her six months later. You're a family here. All of you. No monsters, no agendas, no anger at a missing father. A real family."

Adam stares at her hazily. "I…actually remember that now."

"Do you want to stay?"

Dean bounds up the steps to the porch and Kate whacks him on the back of the head for whatever he says to her on the way by. The screen door swings open and John's there too, followed by Sam and a pretty blonde carrying a six pack of beer. Adam can't tear his eyes away from them.

"_Can_ I stay?" Adam looks back at her with eyes still full of hell. "It's just that three days…"

"Your pass is renewable." Ettie smiles and takes a step back. "In perpetuity." She releases Adam into the timeline and watches as he runs to the group on the porch. He grabs his mother in a bear hug. Dean tosses him a beer.

Ettie slips sideways and sideways again. She jumps to Stull, watches until the cage opens and Lucifer and Michael are swallowed back up along with their vessels. And time moves on.

Ettie moves with it, flowing through the ages until the end nears. She and Death meet for lunch until there are no taco trucks and no fish and universes collide and collapse around them. They rendezvous one last time at the very end of the line.

She's not first this time, though she's hardly surprised. God is waiting, Death at his side. Michael and Lucifer are there also, shriveled and small, their shining lights dimmed and dull. As Ettie arrives, the archangels dissolve into dust and God blows them, glittering against the darkness, from his palm.

"Thank you, Eternity," He says, smiling his sweet smile, "for giving me those last three days with my wayward children. I feel like they finally understood the error of their ways."

Ettie nods and stares at the encroaching emptiness, then glances around. "I''m half surprised the Winchesters aren't here."

"Sam and Dean?" God says with a laugh. "You just missed them."

Death nods and Eternity grins. "Shall we?" she asks, reaching out. She grips Death's left hand tightly as God takes his right and Everything. Just. Stops.


End file.
